My name is Sonam Jeltseng. I am a Tibetan student studying at Qinghai Normal University in Xining, China.

My home is in Gombo Township, Derong County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. There are about 600 people living in this town. I speak a Kham sub-dialect that is restricted to a few Tibetan counties.

These photographs depict aspects of life in Gombo Township. Life there is changing quickly. The main reason for this is the recent (2004) construction of the first ever road to the township. We now have greater access to goods and services from Derong County Town. This also means that certain traditional cultural items are no longer being made, e.g., farming tools, textiles, household objects, etc.

These photographs give a glimpse into traditional life in my home area. I hope you find them interesting.

The camera these photos were taken on was donated by Fujifilm Australia. Thanks!